Hype:

Upper Muddy Creek, starting from the Tomsich Butte mining area, is a lovely area of the Swell that seems overlooked by many hikers. The scenery is similar to the Little Grand Canyon in the northern Swell, with exquisite cliffs, domes, and buttes. Expect great scenery, with much solitude.

The route begins at Muddy Creek, visits a lonely cabin near Tomsich Butte, then winds it's way up along Muddy Creek to Poor Canyon. A great side trip, Poor Canyon has impressive canyon walls covered with solution pockets. Poor Canyon makes a great backpacking destination, with a intermittent seeps within 20 minutes of Muddy Creek that are generally flowing. Muddy Creek proper could be filtered as well, but it is very silty.

Although the creek can be crossed in hotter times of the year, the hike does not require any creek crossings, making this a good hike in cooler times of the year.

The trailhead provides great views of Hondoo Arch.

Photos:

My History:

I visited in the spring of 2010.

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